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Wednesday, 29 February 2012

Just a quick post to share a giveaway with you all! This is to celebrate a recent landmark in my blogging journey as sleep.wake.hope has recently reached 100 followers! So thank you to everyone, it's much appreciated.

Now, i'm a poor student so i couldn't afford to go "the whole hog" so i am simply offering the chance to win 1 x £10 arcadia gift voucher which can be spent in any of the stores listed above.

*The voucher was bought with my own money, this is not a sponsored post in any way. I'm also not holding this giveaway in a desperate attempt to gain more followers, i simply just want to say a big thank you to you all :)*

To win 1 x £10 Arcadia voucher you must be a follower of sleep.wake.hope via GFC and comment below linking me to what you'd spent £10 on in any of the Arcadia stores. Please remember to leave an email address so i can contact you if you win.

*The winner will be chosen at random*

FOR AN EXTRA ENTRY:

You can follow me on bloglovin' but make sure to let me know you have done in your comment.

You can follow me on twitter and tweet "@kfh34163 is having a giveaway on www.sleepwakehope.blogspot.com" Again, please let me know you've done this in your comment.

The giveaway will end on Saturday 31st March at 9pm GMT and is open to UK/Ireland only. If you follow me but live outside of the UK, thanks for following and i'm sending virtual hugs to you!

Tuesday, 28 February 2012

After a really crummy Friday night, I came home from work on Saturday afternoon to a lovely parcel for winning Vipxo's Valentines giveaway, so I thought i'd show you guys what i received!

This beautiful deep ruby red nail varnish is called "Bond Street" by Nails Inc and i love how the cap of the varnish is covered in little diamonds because it makes it feel really special! I don't think i would be able to justify buying this for myself normally as they retail at roughly £15, but it would definitely make an ideal gift. It also seems to be really durable, so far lasting me 3 days without chipping so that must be good! Also, my mum applied my gel nails! She's a trained newly nail technician and i think they're really good! What do you guys think? She'd love your feedback.

Sorry if this makes you all hungry, but i also received a MASSIVE box of chocolates. They are so so soooo yummy and i wish i could share them with all of you! So a big thankyou to Victoria and very.co.uk for my lovely gifts.

Also, slightly off topic but i recently reached the 100 subscriber mark so i want to say a really big thankyou to all of you for that. It means so much to me that you follow sleep.wake.hope and for that reason, i will be hosting a small giveaway some time in the near future! So keep your eyes peeled for that.

I'm off for a pub meal with work tonight so i'm keeping this post short and sweet, but again thank you! And let me know what you think about the nail polish.

Sunday, 26 February 2012

Okay, so I wasn't impressed at all this month with Glossybox, so before you continue reading, this may be a bit rant-y but it's my personal opinion. I do appreciate that Glossybox can't always cater for everyone's personal preferences, but after i use my 1000 Glossy dots next month, i will be unsubscribing... that it unless they totally wow me next month.

So the first item i received this month was the Paul Mitchell Round Trip which is meant to "define curls." However, the packaging must've got damaged in the delivery process because i received a sticky mess. Plus i would've really liked to have some sort of instructions how to use this product.. do i use it before i wash my hair? When it's damp? I've tried both and haven't had amazing results either way. This sample was 25ml. A full size product is 200ml at priced at £12.95

Next, i received the "Como Shambhala" body lotion. This did have a nice consistency and texture, but in my opinion, it didn't smell particularly great. I think the peppermint makes it small really odd mixed with lavender.. not something i want to rub all over my skin anyway. And it doesn't feel like a luxury sample, more like your bog standard body lotion if i'm honest.This sample was 50ml. A full sized product is 300ml and is priced at £20.00.

The DuWop Venom gloss was one of my favourites in this box and i just wish it was a bigger sample! The gloss acts as a lip pumping agent providing a tingly sensation which doesn't hurt or anything, but i don't think it's particularly effective. I love the colour though (i received "buttercup") and it really is glossy with a lovely consistency.

The sample was 5ml. A full sized product is 10.4ml and priced at £16.

Next i'm going to talk about my least favourite product in the box so i can at least end on a high with my most favourite! So my least favourite was the Dr Bronner magic liquid soap, which by the way, smells disgusting! i haven't even used this product because the smell puts me off so much although i do appreciate that it's made of lovely natural ingredients. If you are interested in trying this product, it is really cheap which i guess is a good thing.

This sample was full sized and is priced at £1.99

Finally, to leave it on a high, i did really love the BM Beauty pure mineral eye shadow. I received a gorgeous silvery colour named "Platinum Tiara" which i've used a fair bit to create a sparkly smokey eye. I think it works really nicely in the corners of my eyes, making me look more "wide-eyed." I've never tried BM beauty before, but i would be interested in trying out more of thier products, especially as they are suitable for vegetarians and vegans which is always a plus. They're also fairly affordable.

This sample was 1g. A full sized product is 2g and priced at £7.00

So there's my review. I'm not going to apologise for it being a bit of a rant because it's my honest opinion and like i said, i will definitely unsubscribe after i've redeemed my free box because i don't feel it's worth it anymore. I am on the lookout to try a new beauty box though so if you have any recommendations please let me know! I've got my eye on Boudoir Prive and Feel Unique at the moment, so if any of you have reviews on those boxes, leave your links in the comments box below.

Wednesday, 22 February 2012

Sorry it's been so long since my last post, however my Textiles final piece has literally sucked up my entire life for the past couple of weeks, making it really hard to find time to post, and also to find things to post about! I did finish it today though and i'm soooo happy it's over with, plus i think it looks pretty good - let me know if you're interested in seeing it and i'll put up a few pictures.

I thought i'd do a bit about my UCAS/Uni application process so far today. Back in December, i applied through UCAS to do fashion buying and merchandising/marketing at London College of Fashion, Westminster University, De Monfort University and London Metropolitan University. The first to reply was De Monfort and I had my interview with them yesterday so now i'm waiting to hear back from them. I really love the uni itself because the facilities and campus look great and it has a friendly atmosphere, however im unsure that the course is suitable for me as it seems very design based. I then heard back from London Met with a conditional offer for 240 UCAS points. I think this is going to be just a safe last resort option as living in London would be way expensive! Westminster offered me an interview last month which went well and i now have a conditional from them which is BBC. I loved thier course but i'm not sure if the uni is really right for me. Finally, i'm still anticipating to hear back from LCF, they phoned today but i missed the call, AHHH!

If you follow me on twitter (@kfh34163) you'll know recently i've been panicking as to what i should wear to my university interviews. Now i know most people if their applying for medicine or law etc wear a smart clean suit, pretty boring right? But because i'm applying for Fashion Buying, i feel like it's really important to not only look smart, but fashionable.. hence my dilemma!

At Westminster, i found the applicants with me wore very smart clothing which at the same time was fashionable and on trend. A couple of girls wore jeans, but the majority wore a smart black skirt or trousers. Whereas at De Monfort yesterday, i again dressed fairly smartly and found the majority were in casual wear so i'm still feeling fairly confused! But below i've put together the sorts of outfits that i think are suitable for a Uni interview.

This is exactly what i wore, except i wore my JWLRY rings instead and the blouse had sleeves and a pleated collar. I really love the blazer because it added a lovely block of colour to an otherwise monochrome outfit. I also added a big gold button on the blazer to add personality.

Anyway, i hope this helps. It's sort of my "What to wear to a uni interview guide!"

Monday, 13 February 2012

I've had the weekend off work so i decided to do a spot of Topshop shopping before eating out at the Coal grill and bar restaurant in Cabot Circus. These are a few things I bought.

So first i've been looking for some cute little studs for ages because i seem to lose all mine! So I thought these looked really sweet. I only have 3 ear piercings (1 on the left, 2 on the right) but i am planning to get another this week (on the right again). I'm not a massive fan of wearing heavy or dangley earrings either so these are perfect for me. And these were only £7.50 with student discount. My favourites are the square studs and brassy flowers.

Next was a slightly naughty purchase bought on my Topshop card - whoops! They are a debt-trap! And i've wanted the studded loafers since i saw them so i just sort of caved in. I actually bought them in a size smaller than my usual 5 because they are very slipper-like in that they are quite loose and are able to be stretched. Now i really love these shoes, they look absolutely stunning and they're really easy to wear BUT i am starting to question why i spent £28 on them when actually they're really quite flimsy. I'm wondering how long it's going to be before the studs start falling off and the soles peel away. With student discount they were £25 but i still don't know if i can really justify this purchase - plus they're not that comfortable either because they're so thin and have no grip.

Lastly i bought some Blusher in "Flush" which is a gorgeous peachy coral colour and provides a lovely subtle finish. Because my skin is so pale, this is a lovely product to use to bring a little more colour to my face. Plus the packaging is really cute and i love that it has a mirror included - great for on the go! I believe this is £6 full price.

So as i said, after shopping i ate out at Coal grill and bar and i have to say, the service was really good. The food was yummy though nothing to rave about, i was just really impressed with the speed of service and how friendly the waitresses are. It's fairly affordable too with the help of voucher cloud! I had a chicken burger with a pretty cocktail.

Saturday, 11 February 2012

Earlier this week, Zoe emailed me asking if she could present a guest post here on sleep.wake.hope. I'm more than happy to welcome guest posts if i feel the content is suitable for my readers, but please let me know your opinions on guest posts down below if you think it's a good or bad idea. Zoe is a freelance writer for Pearl & Butler which is a company i'd never heard of before, and above is some of the sweet bits of jewellery that they sell and i really like. I'm paticularly loving their selection of stacked rings!

*GUEST POST by Zoe*

Go bright and bold this spring

Bright colours have always been synonymous with spring and as the season of new life and rebirth hovers on the horizon, it is an apt time to start thinking of the fashions of the future.

Accessories, such as belts and bags, scarves and hats, jewellery and watches, can transform an everyday outfit into a designer's delight. Accessorising is one way of revamping old clothes, creating new looks and jazzing up simple outfits. From silver jewellery to silk scarves, using accessories is only limited by your imagination.

The Colours of Spring

Spring is dominated by bright yellows, stunning reds, bold blues and luscious pinks, complemented by vibrant greens. This is the perfect time of year to go the whole hog with these colours to brighten up your entire wardrobe. Accessorising ensures the look is not over the top; instead, the look is eye- catching and interesting.

Start the design with a simple outfit in neutral or base colours. Black is classic and works well for an evening, but for the day or work time, go for a less intense option, such as navy or a muted shade. Plain cut, yet well-fitting clothes are the ideal base to set your bold accessories off.

Select your bag and choose your colour carefully, as it can say much about your personality. Happy people often go for yellow and orange denotes someone who is naturally friendly and outgoing, with a daring personality. Red is bold and fiery and full of love, whilst green is calm and sophisticated. Match your bag to your shoes, or a hair band for extra depth.

To break up your outfit, cinch your waist in with a bold and distinctive belt, to add curves and colour. Skinny belts are all the rage, or choose knotted scarves for a textured look. Match them to the scarf at your neck or in your hair for a layered look.

Don't Overdo It!

Be careful not to go over the top with your accessories; sometimes, less is more. To wake up a simple outfit, a few pieces of fashion jewellery may be all you need. Alternatively, a bag coupled with a scarf and matching hat can give a striking yet classic look. Whatever your preferences, bold and bright accessories match the season of spring by bringing old items back to life.

Thursday, 9 February 2012

Not a very interesting outfit post but i really like wearing my boyfriend's shirt because it's so big, comfy and warm! Also i don't think i've worn Converse since like 2009! Old school... Today a friend and I arranged a non-uniform day for students in order to raise money and awareness of the Fashion Week we are holding in June for Tenovus cancer charity. We raised a massive £1401 and also got some lovely clothing donations (Karen Millen evening dress - thankyou whoever donated that!) so a successful day all in all.

I'm now on half term so i plan to work solidly on my final piece for Textiles as well as actually getting some sleep. I was going to go to TOWIB this weekend but unfortunately something's come up, however if you're going, have a really great time! I'll be there in spirit :)

Saturday, 4 February 2012

I wasn't sure whether to upload these or not because as you can see, the picture quality is very poor! Normally i would also take my photo's outside but by the time i was ready to go out, it was really dark so my kitchen had to do as a background! I went out last night to town with a couple of friends and we hit a couple of clubs which was really fun and we met some pretty cool people too. All in all (what i can remember) it was a really good night and the club we went to had a really good selection of music to boogie on down to! It's a shame because it got far too busy and crowded though but hey ho! I wore my new velvet Topshop skater dress which i picked up the sale a couple of weeks ago (£18 i think?) and this is such a cute little versatile dress, you can wear it with anything. Because it was cold, i teamed it with my trusty leather jacket and suspender tights with platforms!